“It even surpasses the royal elephant and camel processions of Siam, in which all the animals are caparisoned with gold and silver and jewels. Until I had seen this wonderful procession, I thought nothing could surpass that,” said the Princess. “You certainly have given us a treat,” said the Prince and Harold. “Now, I think you would enjoy boarding a barge and taking a trip along the Milky Way, visiting some of the strange countries that border it and inspecting some of the palaces that line this silvery stream on either side.” Mercury went to procure a barge for them and soon called to them to come down and enter it. It was high at the back with a raised divan shaded by silken curtains and waving palms. The front was high and pointed and stood well out of the stream of sparkling stars beneath it. Its trimmings were of purple and gold which fell over the side in graceful festoons. There were seats for six, two high carved chairs on the divan, resembling seats on a royal throne, while the others were beneath the three steps of the raised platform. Harold and Ione insisted upon the Prince and Princess occupying the elevated seats and impersonating king and queen while they would sit beneath them as their loyal subjects, but the Prince and Princess would not agree to this. “But don’t you see,” urged Ione, “you were to the purple born, while who ever heard of a free-born American citizen occupying a throne? Besides it would be too quiet a proceeding for us and I am sure we would jump up at the wrong time or upset a chair during an audience if it proved too tedious.” “You are mistaken,” said the Prince. “You could rule by right of judgment and strength while you would have me rule because of the blood of my ancestors.” “Let Mercury decide,” said the Princess. “Very well,” he replied, “in that case I think Harold and Ione should take the chairs for we are their guests.” “Good for you, Mercury. You always say the right thing at the right time,” said the Prince. So Harold and Ione took the carved seats, and for fun, wished they _were_ a king and queen, so when the Prince, Princess and Mercury turned toward them, they were speechless with surprise for a moment, for instead of two plainly-dressed American citizens, they saw two royal personages with golden myrtle crowns on their heads, flowing robes of velvet, and ermine mantles upon their shoulders. “Well, I declare!” exclaimed the Prince. “You two rival all the kings and queens I ever saw for beauty and kingly bearing. Where is your sceptre?” Harold held up a golden sceptre in the shape of a wand. All this time they had been floating along on this silent, silvery stream with its myriads and myriads of silver stars, so tiny and closely packed together that they looked like molten silver.